The most recent working carried out by the East Lancashire Royal Arch Presentation Team (ELRADT) took place on October 24th at a Hosted Meeting of Iron Road Lodge No 4964 at Audenshaw Masonic Hall. On the evening a team of 14 members of ELRADT performed “Crafty Companions” for a packed Lodge Room and, in particular, our Most Excellent Grand Superintendent, Sir David Trippier RD, DL. Admittedly, Sir David was attending the Lodge Meeting in his alter ego – that of the Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire, but part of the rationale of ELRADT is to encourage newer members of the Craft to consider joining the Royal Arch. Since there were 15 recent initiates present in the Lodge Room, together with a further 114 Masons packed into the main Lodge Room at Stanley House, it was a perfect opportunity for the team to spread the word.
The performance was introduced by WBro Norman Clarke, who, as the Aassistant to the Provincial Grand Principals (AProvGP) for the Southern Area, is one ELRADT’s Vice Presidents. The team then presented their work and afterwards they were congratulated heartily by the Provincial Grand Master.
On this occasion the members of the team were EComps Terry Bailey, Alan Baxendale, John Cavanagh, Chris Cunliffe, Tony Freemont, Kevin Hall, Dennis Heskett, Fraser McCord, Russell Pike, Graham Rawlinson, Denny Stevens, Keith Swettenham, Leslie Taylor and Michael Williams. All of the team members can be seen in the back rows of the photograph at the head of this report.
They gathered with a select group of guests comprising (from left to right on the front row):- WBro Norman Clarke; VWBro Stephen Blank, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master for Southern Area; RWBro Sir David Trippier RD, DL, the Provincial Grand Master and WBro John Pearson, Chairman of Audenshaw District.